Sorrow, tears as Borno bury 43 farmers murdered by Boko Haram

By Henry Omunu & Tunde Opalana

It was tears and wailing from relatives, friends and residents as 43 rice farmers killed on Saturday by Boko Haram insurgents at Koshebe Village in Jere Local Government Area of Borno State were buried on Sunday.

The farmers were killed at about 11 am on Saturday as they harvested rice on their farms and the incident is the latest in the unrelenting killing of farmers in the NorthEast by Boko Haram insurgents, who have been campaigning for a strict Islamic code since 2009.

So far, the insurgency has taken hundreds of lives and displaced thousands of residents, even though the Federal Governments has been fighting back to defeat the insurgents.

Speaking at the burial of the farmers, Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State, said that residents informed him that the death toll could be as high as 70 because some of the farmers were still missing.

Gov. Zulum advised that Nigeria and some of its neighbouring should forge closer cooperation to defeat the insurgency, which has wracked the nation for over a decade.

He pleaded with the Federal Government to recruit more indigenes of the state into the military and other security agencies to combat the insurgency.

According to him, his administration would recruit more hunters and Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) to complement the efforts of the military and other security agencies.

“We will restrategize and ensure total domination of the Zabarmari, Gonglong, Koshebe axis of the state.

We will recruit more CJTF and hunters so that our people can take the fight to all nooks and crannies of this area.

“We appeal to the Nigerian Army and air force to strengthen their support with a view to defeating the insurgents.

We have six million people in Borno State and we need to farm if we must survive,” the governor said.

He observed that the insurgents who killed the farmers were from Wuda-Taya Game Reserve in the area.

The governor said that there was need to raid the area to save the farming community known for mass production of rice. Out-going Chairman of rice sellers in the area, Malam Hassan Zabarmari, called for more security presence to protect farmers.

“We are expecting bumper harvest, but with this incident we are afraid to go to our farm in Koshebe Village which has been vacated.

The insurgents have even started burning our farms. We need help,” he pleaded. Reacting to the massacre, President Muhammadu Buhari expressed grief over the killing of the rice farmers, describing the terrorist killings as insane.

The president made the condemnation in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Sunday.

President Buhari said the government had given all the needed support to the armed forces to take all necessary steps to protect the country’s population and its territory.

He said: “I condemn the killing of our hardworking farmers by terrorists in Borno State. The entire country is hurt by these senseless killings.

My thoughts are with their families in this time of grief. ”May their souls rest in peace.”

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, in his reaction, condemned the killing of rice farmers by terrorists, describing the incident as another act of barbarism against innocent Nigerians.

The Senate President condoled with the families of the victims, Government and people of Borno State over the senseless carnage.

In a statement by his media adviser, Ola Awoniyi, the Senate President said “this incident is heart-rending and again demonstrates why we must all continue to support the security forces to thwart the criminals in their evil determination to impose a reign of terror on the North East of Nigeria.

“I commiserate with the families of the deceased, Governor Babagana Zulum and the entire people of Borno State and assure them of the sympathy and solidarity of the National Assembly.

“This heinous crime is particularly sad given the ongoing spirited efforts by the Federal Government at ensuring food security in Nigeria through the many programmes that have been put in place to support the agriculture sector.

“I urge the security agencies to redouble their efforts with a view to bringing an end to mindless violent crimes in our country,” Lawan said.

Lawan assured that the National Assembly will continue to support the Executive in strengthening the security agencies towards improving the security of lives and property of Nigerians everywhere in the country.

Similarly, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has condemned the killing of the farmers by Boko Haram insurgents.

Gbajabiamila, who expressed sadness over the killings of the innocent rice farmers, said the incident has once again brought to the fore the need for more military action against the terrorists.

He said it was unfortunate that at a time the country was focusing on self-sufficiency in rice farming about 50 of the farmers were killed in a most gruesome manner.

In a statement by his spokesman, Lanre Lasisi, the speaker commiserated with the families of the killed farmers, the people and government of Borno State over the sad incident.

The speaker said the House is determined and ready to provide all necessary support, including the ongoing budgeting process to ensure that funds are allocated for the security agencies to carry out their mandate of wiping out the terrorists.

“It’s unfortunate that about 50 of our countrymen lost their lives to the barbaric and inhuman action of the insurgents at this time.

“This incident is one too many for us as a country. Here were innocent citizens going about their lives of looking for their daily bread to cater for their families, but are murdered in a most gruesome manner.

“Their lives should not go in vain. This should call for more action from our military.

As a House, we are ever ready to give them all the necessary support, especially through budgetary allocation, to deal decisively with the insurgents. My heart goes out to the families of the murdered farmers,” the speaker said.

Also, the Northern Governors’ Forum has condemned Saturday’s killing of rice farmers in Jere Local Government Area of Borno State by Boko Haram terrorists.

Chairman of the forum and Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, made the condemnation on Sunday in Jos, in a statement by his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Dr. Makut Macham.

Gov. Lalong described the incident as tragic and a great setback to the country’s efforts to attain domestic sufficiency in rice production as well as food security.

He said the entire country was deeply saddened over the killing of the rice farmers who committed no crime, but went to their farms to earn their honest living.

He said the forum had consistently worked with the Federal Government, security agencies and local support groups to ensure protection of farmers, in order to enable them to carry out their farming activities.

The chairman said that in spite the condemnable act, the forum would not relent in its support to enable security agencies to deal decisively with the terrorists and other criminals.

He commiserated with the families of the deceased farmers, as well as the people and government of Borno over the incident.

The farmers were killed on Saturday in Koshebe village of Jere local government area of the state while working in their farms.

In its reaction, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) condemned the gruesome beheading of the innocent farmers by insurgents, describing the act as extremely wicked, devilish and must not be left unaddressed.

The PDP noted with pain that this horrific killing of compatriots comes as yet another of the recurring horrid testament and badge of failure of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC administration to secure the nation and guarantee the safety of lives and property.

Expressing the party’s distress, its spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan in a statement on Sunday, the PDP said it is devastated by the escalated killing and maiming of innocent Nigerians by insurgents, bandits and marauders, who have continued to ravage and pillage communities, while the lethargic Buhari administration continues with its lip service, rhetoric and false performance claims.

“The PDP is particularly disturbed because of the failure of the Buhari Presidency to take decisive action despite series of concerns raised by Borno state governor, Baba Gana Zulum, of security compromises in the state.

“The Buhari administration appears helpless while our national security structure under President Buhari seems to have collapsed.

Our nation appears to be on auto pilot with no one in charge while the ship of state continues to drift.

“All our nation gets from the Buhari Presidency is that ‘Mr. President is shocked’, ‘Mr. President is saddened’, ‘Mr. President regrets’ and such lame responses without any decisive policy direction or directive to definitively tackle the situation at hand, leading to escalation of killings in our country.

“Such attitude by the Buhari administration has continued to embolden insurgents to the extent that they now attack military formations, convoys of state governors and engage in wanton beheading of our compatriots.

“It is distressing that despite this sorry situation, Mr. President, who promised to lead from the front, has receded into the safety of Aso Presidential villa and refused to act on the consistent demands of Nigerians to rejig the national security architecture and replace the service chiefs with more capable hands to affectively tackle our security challenges”, the statement read.

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The PDP charged President Buhari to stop his unhelpful rhetoric but sit up and take actions that will safeguard the lives of Nigerians who have been subjected to all manners of mental and physical torture under this incompetent administration.

“Mr. President should immediately move to Zabarmari in Borno state, empathize with the families of the victims and lead from the front in restoring security in the area.

“Our party commiserates with the government and people of Borno state and urge Nigerians to remain at alert particularly in providing useful information for our security agencies in this fight against insurgency in our land”, said the PDP.